Objective: In this study, we aimed to present the effect of major depression of a mother on the level of TNF- α in fetal cord blood.
Method: The study included 58 pregnant women meeting criteria from pregnant women, who applied for elective cesarean to Konya Training and Research Hospital and Konya Necmettin Erbakan University Meram Medical Faculty Gynecology and Obstetrics Clinics between October 2011 and December 2012.
Results: 28 mothers diagnosed as depression during pregnancy and first 30 mothers without a diagnosis of depression were compared as control groups. No significant differences in terms of age, work status, income level, abortion history, gender of baby and anesthesia method during cesarean were found between mothers diagnosed with depression during pregnancy and those without a diagnosis of depression. Pregnancy period and birth weights of babies of mothers diagnosed as depression during pregnancy were significantly lower. The levels of TNF-α in cord blood of babies of mothers diagnosed as depression during their pregnancy were significantly higher with respect to those of the cord blood of babies of mothers who were not diagnosed as depression during pregnancy.
Conclusion: Our evidence motivates to conclude that major depression during pregnancy process might affect not only mental and psychosocial functions of mothers, but also neurogenesis by means of proinşammatory cytokines like TNF-α in developing fetal brain. Our review manifests significance of diagnosis and treatment of mother depression during pregnancy process.